The Shoe Shiner

Today, I will tell you the story of a shoe shiner that we had met during our trip to Istanbul. We had a long day of bargaining at the Covered Bazar followed by a walk through the Suleymaniye Mosque. We sat down to eat at a local Fasulye cafe (a restaurant specializing in a Turkish bean soup eaten with bread and yoghurt). It was really yummy!!! The cafe was located just opposite to the Mosque and the street deliciously smelt of Ottoman Turkey. Being accustomed to beggars and other local street sellers, we learned the art of shaking our heads and moving on at first. Then, if they still lingered, we ignored and continued to walk on… If you know Istanbul well enough, you will know that these sellers don’t give up easily and will even force their services onto you. Before you know it, you end up paying for a service you didn’t even need in the first place.

Anyway, moving on… We were sitting at the café breathing Istanbul’s crisp air while this particular shoe shiner kept commenting on how he could apply a special cream onto our tennis shoes to whiten them. He said “good clean shoes” and we kept saying “no thank you”. Before we knew it, he said “let me show you” and he was already working on my husband’s shoes. When he was done, he said “For you only 3 Liras… Other 5 liras”. I remember responding angrily, frustrated for having to pay this intruder for interrupting the ambience of our lunch “3 liras for this?”. I said this before I had made the conversion in my mind to 750 fils (around 2 US dollars). This had become my programmed response to all sellers in Turkey. He then replied quite angrily “What you say??? The chai you drink 5 liras!!!”.

My husband and I glanced at each other somehow acknowledging that he was right. Our meal alone at this very modest café had cost us around $ 35… let alone all that we were spending on the rest of our vacation… We ordered everything from the bean soup to Turkish kunafe to ice-cream and ended it all with an authentic cup of Turkish chai savoring every moment of it.

And there he was… the shoe shiner… probably observing it all… He was a guy struggling to make ends meet hoping each day to shine as many shoes as he could. Unfortunately, only with that realization, did he become human to me. All of a sudden, his face had a story to tell… He had a very thick somewhat asymmetrical mustache and his dark gray hair began to show its shiny strands of white mixed against a background of black. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy that smiled often. I asked him how many children he had and all of a sudden, I saw his face soften up and there was a twinkle in his eyes. “Four” he replied proudly and moved on hoping to find another tourist who would extend a leg for a quick shoe shine…

He moved on but never really left us that day since it was he who made us wonder why it was so difficult for us to lend our shoes for a few moments to a man who was seeking to feed his four children…Subhan Allah, how easily do we immerse ourselves in our own lives and forget how rough things are on many people living among us day in day out…. And how easily did we manage to forget all our countless blessings from Allah…

(56)أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُم بِهِ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ(55 سورة المؤمنون) نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ بَل لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ

Do they think that We enlarge them in wealth and children, (55) We hasten unto them with good things (in this worldly life so that they will have no share of good things in the Hereafter)? Nay, but they perceive not. (56) from Surât Al-Mu'minûn